Alarm and inflation equalizer for pneumatic tires



Sept. 29, 1936.

' W. FENTON ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES Filed Oct.15, 1932 lllll 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, Warrenfenfo n,

Sept. 29, 1936. w. FENTON ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER FOR PNEUMATICTIRES Filed Oct. 15, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VEN TOR, WQrrenl en fan,

ATTORNEY.

Sept. 29, 1936. I w FENTQN 2,056,064

- ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES Filed Oct. 15, 19324 Sheets-Sfxeet 3 INVENTORH W0 rre nl en to n,

ATTORNEY.

W. FENTON Sept. 29, 1936.

ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledOct. 15, 1952 QwNN INVENTOR, Warre nFe' nfo n,

- ATTORNEY.

v Patented ep1h 29,, 193$ NET ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER IFQRPNEUMATIC TIRES 27 @iaims.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in alarms forpneumatic tires, particularly in combination with means and mechanismssuch as will hereinafter appear.

Another object is to provide a device, which comprises an attachment fora plurality of tires, and which provides for the inflation of such tiressimultaneously to the point of equalized operaiive air' pressure, bymeans of but one attachment of the air supply hose or other connection.

Still another object is to provide a device which, when connecting aplurality of tires together, permits air to pass from one tire toanother, in order to automatically equalize the pressure in such tires,as when a vehicle rests or runs upon uneven ground, crowned roads, orV-shaped driveways.

Again, another object is to provide a device which, when coupled to twoor more tires, prevents the escape of air below a predetermined pressurefrom any and all other such coupled tires, when one is punctured orblows out, and simultaneously sounds an alarm.

Another object, on the'other hand, is to provide a device which whenattached either to one or more tires, sounds an alarm when the pressurein a tire falls below a predetermined point, as when punctured, or ifdeflation is reached while a car carrying the tire is stationary, thealarm immediately sounds upon the starting of the car and the resultingrotation of the wheel I and .tire;

A further object is to provide in such a device safety means forautomatically exhausting air to prevent excess pressure, as wheninflating a tire equipped with the device, or when fast driving in hotweather produces an expansion of the air due to an excessive rise intemperature; and in such a device to provide for failure of the safetymeans to-operate, in which case a positively operating secondary exhaustmechanism functions.

Still further objects of the'invention are to provide a manuallyoperable means in such a device to shut oil the alarm, as when it isdesired to continue running the tire or tires adistance before changingthe same; to provide a manually operable means to either or both shutolf the alarm and to re-set the individual valves 'of the tiresconnected together by the device; to provide for ready attachment of thedevice to the wheels or hubsof a vehicle, without necessitating anychange in the wheel, hub, or tires; to pro vide a slightly differentform of the device adapted to be built directly in awheel or hub;

to provide a device of this character which is adapted to tires of allpressures from the lowest to the highest, by the mere setting of twosimple adjustments; to provide a device embodying all of thesefeaturesyand which. when in operative position with respect to aplurality of tires, is shielded within the outer plane of the outertire; to provide in such a device a visual air pressure gauge, toindicate the relative degree of pressure in the one or more tires towhich the' device may be attached, and operative from the minimumpressure at which the alarm is sounded up to the maximum operativepressure of the tire or tires, or the point at which the excess pressureunder certain conditions is automatically released or exhausted; toprovide a construction of such a device in which the internal mechanismis characterized by'self-lubrication; to provide means for theapplication of a pressure gauge to each of the plurality of tiresindependently, after one has been deflated, in order to determine whichtire must be replaced; and to provide further details of constructionand operation, as will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be fully undestood from the following description,when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1is a diametrical sectional view of a mechanism comprising one embodimentof the invention, taken on the line ll of Fig. 4; Fig. 2 is a sectiontaken thru a wheel, to the hub of which is attached the invention ofFig. l, in operative relation to a pair of pneumatic tires shown indot-and-dash lines; Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the device.per se; Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view showing the supportingbrackets in section and with the back plate partly broken away; Fig. 5is an elevational view of the pendulum per so on the line 5-5 of Fig.1'; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-45 of Fig. '7; Fig. 71s afragmentary elevational view of the front of the device with thediaphragm removed; Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view ofthe forward end portion of the bellows shaft with its lock nut, ballrace, and securing means; Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of a slightlymodified form of the invention; Fig. 10 is a similar view of anothermodification of the inventioml 'ig. 11 is a section on the line ||--liof Fig. 10; Figs. 12 and 13 are sectional views on the lines l2-| 2 and'I3-l3, respecthe invention; Fig. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary of saidtires are provided with angular inflationtubes 6, each having the usualvalve which when associated with this device has its stem depressed by asuitable coupling of well-known construction, thus allowing air toescape into the device, and which coupling when disconnected allows saidstem to close, and thus stop the outward flow of air from the tire. Thetubes 6 are then connected by means of flexible tubes I to the combinedinflation and alarm mechanism hereinafter described.

This mechanism is mounted upon the hub 2 by means of suitable brackets8, the outer ends of which are secured in any desired manner to thecylindrical flange portion 9 of the rear wall member ill of themechanism casing. Said flange portion 5 is provided with a recessedplanular shoulder ii, to which are secured a back plate l2 and anintervening air-tight gasket it, said plate being provided with acentral inwardly extending boss, into which extends from its innersurface a bearing recess M for the reception of the shaft is supportingthe bellows, pawl carrying disc, etc.

The rear wall ill extends radially inwardly beyond its flange 9 andsurrounds a threaded aper- 'ture M, in which is secured a hollowcircular member it, having a central radially outwardly extending flangel5, spaced from the inner surface of the member in thru the medium ofan' air-tight gasket ll, and beyond said central flange providing anexterior supporting surface for the inner ring l8 of a ball bearingunit, comprising balls l9 surrounded by the usual outer ring 20. Saidmember l5 inwardly terminates in a radially inwardly extending flange2|, providing an annular shoulder 22 to which is secured in air-tightrelation one end of a circumierentially corrugated, longitudinallyexpansible bellows 23, the outer end portion of which bellows surroundsand is similarly secured about a flange 24 of a ring 25, which is alsorigidly secured in air-tight relation to, and abuts against acylindrical flange 26 upon, the shaft I5.

The ring 25 is recessed upon its normal rear surface in order to receiveand pass over the boss upon the back plate l2, and is provided with aradially outwardly extending flange 21, spaced from the flange 24 andadapted to bear against the inner arms of bell crank levers 28, whichare 'mese terminals pivotally supported by the wall member ID in anysuitable manner, and have their respective outer arms adapted to bearagainst and depress under certain conditions the elongated stems 29 ofordinary pneumatic inflation valves 30, such as those widely known asDill and Schrader valves, and which in turn extend radially thru and aresecured to the flange portion 9 of said member "I. These valves extendthrough air-tight gaskets 3i, and are provided with angular terminals32. are then attached to the free ends of the flexible tubes 1, and itwill be noted that the space surrounding said bell crank levers isnormally filled with air under pressure, while said valve stems aredepressed.

Surrounding the outer ring 20 of said ball bearing unit and securedthereto is a ring 33, to the rear surface of w ch is secured the annularportion 34of a plate extending partially over said ring, from the normallower portion of which plate extends an integral portion 35, comprisinga radially enlarged semi-circular sector, to which is secured a weight35' of the same shape and formed, either of a single piece or oflaminations, duly secured together by bolts 26. Obviously by reason ofits ball bearing support, this weighted annulus tends to remain in agiven or relatively fixed position with respect to the axle of thevehicle, while the. surrounding parts of the device normally rotate withrespect thereto, thereby normally making said annulus and the remainderof the device relatively rotatable, under the force of gravity actingupon said weight.

To the outer face of said annulus is secured an annular member Z-l'l,provided with a plurality of spaced, circumferentially aligned arcuateslots or grooves 383, spaced from the radially inner marginal edgeportion of said member by means of a bearing track 39, for and againstwhich bear the inner ends of pins 40, comprising pawls which areparallel with each other and with the axis of the device. The outer endsof these pawls are adapted to engage the circumferentially disposedratchet teeth ll, carried by the inner surface of a disc 62, the centralportion only of which is in contact with and is secured as by rivets 62to a resonant diaphragm 43, which comprises a closure for the normalouter portion of the casing of the device, the radially outer edge ofwhich diaphragm if desired being directly secured by means of a plate 54to, and preferably within an annular recess in the peripheral portion ofa casing member 45, which is in turn secured to the correspondingportion of the rear wall member it) by means of screws ill, or otherwiseas may be desired. However, louder and better tonal effects are obtainedunder some conditions by separating the diaphragm peripherally from theplate 34 and casing 46 by one or more rubber gaskets, in accordance withaccepted practice in talking machine sound reproducers, thus preventingthe diaphragm from contacting with other metal parts, other than aminimum portion of the ratchet plate 4!.

Extending radially thru the cylindrical wall portion of the said casingmember is an axially oscillatable rod 48, to the outer end of which issecured a manually engageable lever 49, normally shielded to a largedegree within a recess 50 in said member, while the inner end of saidrod terminates in an eccentrically positioned cam 5|, preferably havinga notch 52 at one point of its periphery. The peripheral surface of thiscam is adapted in certain positions to engage the adiacent surface of,and to thereby shift, an irregularly shaped ringlever 53, and said notchto receive a lug 54 carried by said lever, which is pivotally mountedupon trunnions 55, carried by and extending inwardly from said casingmember 46 (Fig. 7) At intermediate points between said trunnions and theuppermost free end portion of said lever, where said lug is located, thesides of said lever are provided with trunnion blocks 56, upon thediametrically opposite sides of and directed radially into acircumferential groove 51, in the outer surface of a centrally disposeddisc 58.

aosaooc ate slots 38 in the annular member 37, as hereinafter described.The central portion of said disc is cut out and therein is secured inany suitable manner the outer ring of a ball bearing unit ti, the innerring 62 of which surrounds the i0 outer end portion of the shaft 55, andabuts against a set nut 63! (Fig. 8), which with said inner ring isspanned by one or more U-shaped keys 56, the central portions of whichare slidable in parallel grooves 65 in said shaft, under the infiuenceof said nut when in engagement with screw threads 66 upon the adjacentend portion of said shaft. Thus, adjustment of said nut 63 upon theshaft 55 operates to nicely adjust the inner surface of the lever 53with respect to the cam 55, and the lugs Bil with respect to theadjacent slotted surface of the annular member 377.

The lever 53 at any suitable point below the supporting trunnions 55 isprovided with an extension tll, which carries a rack 63 in mesh with 5 apinion 69, in turn carried by ashaft it, which passes radially thru abore ii in said casing member 635, the outer end portion of said shaftbeing provided with a unitarily secured drum it, provided with anydesired form of indicating indicia for a purpose hereinafter described.This drum is mounted within a cylindrical recess 13 within the casingmember it, and said recess opens thru said member radially by way of anaperture M, normally spanned by a closure i5,

while said recess also opens forwardly thru an aperture it, so that thesurface of said drum may be viewed from the diaphragm (13) side of thedevice, said last-named aperture being closed by a transparent cylinderll? of glass or the like, which surrounds said drum within saidcylindrlcal recess.

Finally, it will be seen that the ring 25 and shaft i5 are maintained intheir innermost position, when the air pressures in the tires and that 5surrounding said bellows are unequal, under the influence of a coilspring 'iil, which extends between said ring and the flange of a collar19, which surrounds said shaft and is adjustably positioned thereupon bymeans of a set nut cc,

5min the form of an externally threaded sleeve which similarly surroundssaid shaft, and is in adjustable threaded engagement with the threadedbore 8i of a plate 82, which is secured to the forward or outer surfaceof the cylindrical member [5. This construction makes it possible toconstruct and carry in stock a. device ofthis character in but one size,and by suitably adjusting said sleeve nut 88, to adapt the device to theprotection of tires requiring widely different operating air pressures.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that a safety valve 83, maintainedin closed position by a spring 84, positioned within a suitable housing85, communicates with the interior of the device outside of the bellows23, thru the flange portion 9 of the rear wall member ID. However, iffor any reason the valve 83 should fail to release excess air pressuresuper-inflation would be positively preventedby reason of the said valvebeing indi rectly actuated by the cooperation of'the; flange 21 of thering 25 therewith thru the medium of a. third bell crank lever 86,similar in ilshape,

mounting and operation to the levers 28;hereinbefore referred to, andoperatively eng g f y 7 said flange. Upon the diametrically oppositeoutside of the bellows 23, and as said safety valve I is set for apredetermined pressure at which the tires are desired to operate,injection of pressure thru the inflating valve beyond such operating,.pressure merely causes the automatic release of said safety valve, sothat any such excess pres sure readily escapes therethru and preventssuper-inflation.

In the operation of this device, it will be assumed that at the startthe device is attached to a plurality of (in this instance, two) tireswith both of said tires inflated, the relation of the parts of saiddevice being as shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive; also, that thepressure from a supply line thru the single valve 8? into the spacearound said bellows has partially collapsed said bellows into theposition shown in Fig. 1, so that the ring flange 2? depresses each ofthe levers 2t and the cooperating valve stems 29. However, as long asthe pressure designed for the tires, and for which pressure the devicehas been adjusted by properly setting the nut $8 is not exceeded, saidflange 2? does not bear against the lever 86 suificiently to open thesafety valve 83, the if too great pressure should continue to be forcedinto the device, and said safety valve should not im= mediately respondthereto, said ring flange and lever will positively actuate the same,and thus release the excess pressure.

With both of the levers 28 depressed, it will be evident that thepressures within the two tires are equalized, and therefore if thevehicle encounters and passes over a crowned road, or otherirregularity, the tire receiving the greater external pressure, andwhich would ordinarily experience a correspondlngly increased internalpressure, automatically releases a suflicient portion of its own airpressure thru its valve, and thru the space around said bellows, andthru the valve of and into the other tire, to continue the maintenanceof equal pressure in both tires, until another external pressurecondition shall cause an additional flow of air in the same direction,or a recession of the air in the opposite direction.

With the existence of this condition of operation and the bellowspartially collapsed, against the tension of the spring 18, the shaft I5is in a right-hand position (as viewed in Fig. 1), and the disc 58 hasits lugs 68 free from engagement with the slots 38 in the annular member31, so that gravity in acting upon the pendulum weight 35' maintains theannular members 34 and 31 in relatively stationary position, as theremaining parts of the device rotate in accordance with the wheel 3 andtires 5. Now, if one of the tires is punctured or"blows out, itspressure immediately decreases and thereby bleeds air from within thedevice surrounding the bellows, thus permitting the spring 18 to forcethe ring 25 inwardly or towards the left (as shown in Fig. 1), andaccordingly the shaft l5 with the disc 58, until the lugs 60 of thelatter enter the slots 38, and upon engaging the ends of said slotscause said disc, normally rotating with the supporting wheel anddiaphragm 43,

tively speaking) with respect to theratchet teeth M which in realityrotate with the wheel, with the result that very rapid vibrations areimparted means of the tube I as in the first instance. The

fresh tire it will be assumed is already inflated at operating pressureor above. After this tire is placed in operative position and dulyconnected, manually turning the lever (it for a moment will both releasethe alarm by virtue of its cam 5i shifting the disc 58 outwardly, sothat its lugs are again free from engagement within the slots 38, andalso thru the shaft I5 and ring .25 cause the valve stems '29 to bedepressed, thereby permitting enough of the pressure within the freshtire to pass thru the device and partially re-inflate the old tireremaining upon the wheel, until the pressures in the two tires areequal, the lever as and thereby the cam til then being returned to theirnormal positions (Figs. 1 and 3), and the pressures in the two tiresthen combining to hold the alarm disc 58 in inoperative or outerposition, as before described. The vehicle can then be driven to thenearest or suitable air-filling station, where the air supply pipe willbe connected to the valve 8?, and the pressure simultaneously raised inboth tires to the desired degree. The desired pressure can bedetermined, either by the use of a separate pressure gauge, or upon theexhausting of excess air past the safety valve 83, or the appearance ofFull or some similar indicium upon the drum thru the window aperture It.Note, however, that if the pressure in the spare tire is sufficientlyabove normal operating pressure, equalization will bring both tires tooperating pressure, upon operatively mounting the spare tire andmanipulating 1e device as described.

On the other hand, if the driver does not have a good spare tire, or isunable without aid to change the deflated tire for another, he will uponhearing the alarm dismount, probably tho not necessarily note which ofthe tires requires changing, and by turning the lever 09 only until itsnotch 52 engages and receives the lug 50, reset or release the alarm byeffecting a withdrawal of the lugs I50 from within the slots 38, asbefore, but without shifting the disc 58 sufficiently to depress thevalve stem as of the inflated tire, and thereby releasing the airpressure stored therein. However, when he finally reaches a localitywhere he can conveniently change the deflated tire, or where he willhave the help needed, he will effect such change and then further turnsaid cam 5I until the valve stems 29 are depressed, as in the casepreviously described, after which said lever and associated cam will bereturned to their normal positions as before.

In constructing this device, if the pawls and ratchet teeth are properlyshaped, said device is made interchangeable for use upon wheels uponeither the right or left sides of a vehicle. Also, the same size deviceof this construction is made adaptable for tires of widely different airpressures, by removing the diaphragm 43, nut 63, and disc 58, so that bymeans of a suitable spanner wrench the nut can be adjusted, to therebyvary the tension upon the spring 18 and correspondingly the pressures atwhich the bellows will respond in automatically shutting off one of thevalves 30, when the tire of the other such valve is deflated belowapredetermined pressure. After such setting, the said disc and diaphragmare replaced and the device is placed in operation as before.

Referring to Fig. 9, aconstruction is here shown which is similar indesign and function to that hereinbefore described, but without therebeing present any manually operable means such as the lever 49 forindirectly re-setting the valves iii! by depressing their respectivestems, as described, for the purpose of equalizing the pressures in thetires attached to said valves, following the substitution of a new orinflated tire for one that has become deflated for any reason. In thiscase, the exposed valve terminals 32, in addition to being connected bytubes 7 to the respective tires, as above described, are themselvesprovided with auxiliary valves to which couplings 89 detachably securetubes 00, which in turn are normally connected. thru a common Y-shapedcoupling QI with the central inflation valve 8i. It will-be noted thatthe stems 92 of the valves 88 extend thru the respective couplings 89for manual actuation when desired, and that the coupling Ell is attachedto said inflation valve except when it becomes necessary to inflate bothtires, after one or both of them have been replaced upon the wheel andtheir internal pressure equalized. This equalization of pressure,followingthe attachment of an inflated tire to a wheel in combinationwith one in which the pressure has become diminished, as abov escribed,is accomplished by manually depressing for a moment the valve stemconnected to the in flated tire, thereby permitting some of the airunder relatively high pressure to rush into the chamber surrounding thebellows 23, which thereupon contracts and depresses the stems of both ofthe valves as, as a result effectin and. thereafter maintaining suchequalization of ecure in the two tires.

Referring now to Figs. 10, ll, 12 and 13, a construction is here shownwhich does not depend upon the presence and use of a gravity-actuatedpendulum as a relatively stationary element, the

the use of this form of the device is limited to vehicles in which astationary axle 93 extends thru and is accessible from the outside ofthe wheel which surrounds such axle. In this instance, a back plate 90,having an internal circumferentially extending chamber 55, is secured byspaced brackets to any suitable points upon or built in the hub Ql'.Spaced ordinary pneumatic inflation type valves 98 extend radially thruthe outer walls of this back-plate into said chamber, and upon theirouter ends carry terminals 99, themselves being provided with valvesI00, having freely extending, manually engageable stems IN, and alsoconnected by tubes )2 to the respective tires, as in the cases abovedescribed. The stem I03 of each of the valves 98 engages one arm of abellcrank lever I04, pivotally mounted within the chamber 95 and havinganother arm in engagement with a flange I05, attached to a bellows I00which at its opposite end abuts against a shoulder I01 of a circularmember I08, secured to the inner surface of said back-plate and providedwith an axial opening I09, closed by the axially apertured boss I I0 ofa plate III. As the position of said bellows is eccentric with respectto the axis of the backplate, said boss is eccentric with respect to aidlast-named plate.

A shaft H2 has one end rigidly secured to said bid aosaoea -pawls torapidly vibrate said diaphragm and axle 93 and extends thru a centrallydisposed bore iii! in said back-plate, its opposite end extending thruthe plate Hi and securely carrying adjacent thereto a disc ti l, havingcircumferentially spaced apertures H5, adapted to receive the lugs MS ofa disc i ll, reciprocatably carried by the outer end portion of saidshaft I it, thru the medium of anti-friction means H8. Saidlast-mentioned disc is provided with a peripheral groove H9, in whichis. slidably positioned a yoke till, having an offset or enlargementiZi, which is secured to the outer free end of a shaft 022, in turnextending axially thru an adjustable nut H23, in the threaded apertureof the boss lib. Said shaft l22 thence extends thru the bellows We, issecured to the flange Hi and has its opposite end slidably positionedwithin a recess m l in a box 825, forming an integral inward extensionof the rearward wall of the back-plate as. Thus-upon the inwardextension of said bellows thru expansion under the influence ofa coilspring, similar to the spring it of Fig. 1, upon, a lowering of thepressure surrounding said bellows, the shaft 522 is forced inwardly, orto the left as viewed in Fig. 11, thereby shifting the disc ill in thesame direction, so that the lugs lib enter the apertures H5 in the discH t, and thereby arrest the norrnal rotation ofsaid disc iii (when thewheel and tires are revolving during movement of the vehicle).

This iast-mentioned disc' is provided at -circumferentially spacedintervals with parallel bores thru which extend pins 8%, one end of eachof which normally bears lightly against the adjacent surface of the discMi, while the opposite end of each such pin is so shaped as to comprisea pawl in engagement with ratchet teeth i127, carried in a circular rowby the peripheral portion or a relatively rigid plate are, andconcentric with the shaft H2, said last-named plate being centrallysecured to the central portion of a resonant diaphragm 029, which formsa closure for the otherwise open side of a cylindrical casing memberltd, secured to and forming with the back-plate 9 3 an enclosure for themechanism just described. As in that form of the device first described,a rocking lever iii is suitably mounted as shown in Fig. 1, and isprovided with a portionidii which at times may be engaged by thecam-shaped end portion H33 of a radiallyextending shaft iii, carryingupon its outer end a lever 635, together forming a cornstruction whichis similar in construction and operation to the corresponding structurehereinbefore described in relation to Figs. 1 to 8. The opposite portionof the lever i3 5, as in the former case, is provided with an extensionE36, provided with a rack idll in engagement with a pinion 538, carriedby the inner end of a second radially extending shaft i358, to the outerend ofwhich is attached a drum Md, surrounded by a protectingtransparent member Hi, the position of suitable indicia upon itsperiphery to indicate the relative degree tires connected to theimproved device, all as also herelnbefore described. This form of thedevice is furthermore provided with an inflating valve M2 and exhaustvalve M3, as in the first instance.

In operation, this modification of the invention, upon a decrease in airpressure surrounding the bellows, as before mentioned, causes the discill to cease rotating as the casing members b3 and I30 continue torotate with the wheel to which they are connected, thereby causing the.lar flange M5, in engagement and operative by of inflation of theeflect a loud warning, designed to notify the driver of the vehicle thatone of said tires has become deflated, whereupon he stops the ve-.hicle, replaces the deflated tire, equalize-s the pressures in saidtires, re-sets the alarm by manually oscillating the lever 035, andre-inflates to standard pressure both tires, as hereinbefore described.

Referring finally to Figs. 14, 15 and 16, an adaptation of the inventionis here shown which, instead of including a resonant diaphragm, signalsinformation regarding the deflation of a tire directly to the vicinityof the driver of the vehicle. In this instance, a casing comprising asuitable back-plate M5 is secured in any desired manner to a wheel (notshown), represented by a concentrically arranged brake drum M6. .To theforward or outer surface of said plate is secured a second casing memberMil, carrying upon its inner surface a bracket M8, providing a pivotalmounting for a lever M9, one end of which is connected with one arm of asecond lever i511, pivotally supported at tel and having its oppositeend in turn pivotally connected to the outer end of a shaft H52, whichextends thru the bellows i153, bearing member ltd, and circuwith leversuse in cooperation with the stems i571 ofordinary pneumatic inflationtype valves 658, having terminals 4%, adapted to be connected to tiresby means of tubes or'the like, all as above described.

That end of the lever M9 opposite to the lever E50 is connected by meansof a stiff wire or the like I60,- extending thru a. protective guidetubeiii, o one end of a bell-crank lever E62 pivotally carried by the brakedrum M6, and having its opposite arm connected to and operative toreciprocate a rod see, the opposite end of which carries ananti-friction roller i641, which as the said drum rotates and said rodis in its innermost position, as a result of the contraction of thebellows (upon the deflation of a tire), depresses a cam-shaped leverits, pivotally carried by the stationary backing plate ltd, which closesthe interior of the drum. Said last-named lever, which is normallymaintained in outward position under tension of a spring i671, uponbeing intermittently depressed by said rod, closes a contact between anextension of said lever and a fixed contact point see, carried by saidbacking plate.

An electric current thereupon passes from a batinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent oi the United States is:-

1. An alarm for pneumatic tires, comprising a resonant member, anactuating member, one

of said members being rotatable with respect to the other, anintermediate member cooperating with said resonant member and normallystationary with respect thereto, means operative to effectinter-engagement of said intermediate member with said actuating member,to cause said intermediate member to rotate, with respect to and actuatesaid resonant member to produce sound, and an air conduit extendingbetween a tire and said means, to permit air in such tire to actuatesaid means upon a change in pressure within the tire.

2. An alarm, comprising a normally rotating sound producing member, arelatively stationary actuating member, an intermediate membercooperating with said first member and normally stationary with respectthereto, and means operative to effect inter-engagement of saidactuating member with said intermediate member, to cause saidintermediate member to rotate with respect to and actuate said firstmember to produce sound.

3. An alarm, comprising a diaphragm having ratchet teeth, mounted uponand adapted to rotate with a wheel, a substantially stationary pendulumalso carried by such wheel, a disc normally rotatable with saiddiaphragm and carrying a pawl engageable with said teeth, means tointerlock said disc withsaid pendulum, and resilient means controlled bythe pressure in a tire carried by said wheel, operative upon a decreasein such pressure to cause said interlocking means to operatively connectsaid disc to said pendulum, and cause said pawl in engagement with saidteeth to vibrate said diaphragm.

a. An alarm, comprising a diaphragm having irregularities, mounted uponand adapted to rotate with a gravity-actuated member also carried bysaid wheel, a reciprocatable disc normally rotatable with said diaphragmand carrying a reciprocatable pawl engageable with said irregularities,means to interlock said disc with said gravityactuated member, saidpawl. bearing against said member and operative to be maintained therebyin engagement with said irregularities, a shaft carrying said disc, asupport for said member and said shaft, and collapsible means operativeto shift said shaft with respect to said member and to operate saidinterlocking means, as the pressure varies in a tire connected thereto.

5. An alarm, comprising a resonant member mounted upon and adapted torotate with a vehicle wheel, a substantially stationary member alsocarried by such wheel, means normally rotatable with said resonantmember and engageable therewith, expansible means controlled by thepressure in a tire carried by the wheel, operative upon a decrease insuch pressure to permit said rotatable means to interengage saidstationary member, to cause said resonant member to audibly vibrate, acasing for said stationary member, said rotatable means, and saidexpansible means, of which casing said resonant member forms a portion,means to operatlvely secure said casing to a vehicle wheel, and an airconduit connecting a tire to the interior of said casing.

6. An alarm, comprising a diaphragm having ratchet teeth, mounted uponand adapted to rotate with a wheel, a substantially stationary pendulumalso carried by such wheel, a disc normally rotatable with ing a pawlengageable with said teeth, means to interlock said disc with saidpendulum, and resilient means controlled by the pressure in a tirecarried by said wheel, operative upon a decrease in such pressure tocause said interlocking means to operatively connect said disc to saidpendulum, and cause said pawl in engagement with said teeth to vibratesaid diaphragm, a casing for said pendulum, said disc, said interlockingmeans, and

wheel, a substantially stationary said diaphragm and carrysaid resilientmeans, and formed in part by said diaphragm, means to operatively securesaid casing to a vehicle wheel, and an air conduit connecting a tirewith the interior of said casing.

'7. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and rotatablewith a vehicle wheel, a valve extending into an air-tight chamber withinsaid casing, an air conduit connecting a tire upon said wheel with saidvalve, a resiliently positioned bellows within said chamber operative inone position to open said valve, a gravity-actuated member relativemovable with respect to said casing, a resonant diaphragm rotatable withsaid casing, an intermediate member normally rotatable with saiddiaphragm and adapted to interlock with said gravity-actuated member andbecome rotatable with respect to said diaph agm, and means movable bysaid bellows upon a change of pressure within said tire and saidchamber.

to permit closing of said valve and shift said lastnamed member intolocked relation with said gravity-actuated member, to cause the actuating member to audibly vibrate said diaphragm.

8. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and rotatable avalve extending into an air-tight chamber within said casing, an airconduit connecting a upon said wheel with said valve, a resilientlypositioned bellows within said chamber operative in one position to opensaid valve, a gravityactuated member relatively movable with respect tosaid casing, a resonant diaphragm rotatable with said casing, anintermediate member normally rotatable with said diaphragm and adaptedwith a vehiclewheel, w

to interlock with said gravity-actuated member and become rotatable withrespect to said di aphragm, means movable by said bellows upon a changein pressure within said tire and said chamber, to permit closing of saidvalve and shift said last-named member into locked relation with saidgravity-actuated member, to cause the actuating member to audiblyvibrate sa diaphragm, and means extending outside of said casing topermit the release of said actuating member from engagement with saidgravity-actuated member, and the shifting of said bellows to reopen saidvalve.

9. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and rotatablewith a vehicle wheel, a plurality of valves extending into an air-tightchamber within the casing, an air conduit connecting each of said valveswith one of a plurality of tires upon such wheel, a resilientlypositioned bellows within said chamber operative in one position to opensaid valves simultaneously, 5.

to permit the maintenance of equalised pressure within the tires thrusaid chamber, a gravityactuated member relatively movable with respectto said casing, a resonant diaphragm rotatable with said casing, anintermediate member normally rotatable with said diaphragm and. capableof moving into inter-engagement with said gravity-actuated member, so asto become rotatable with respect to said diaphragm, and means movablewith said bellows upon a change of pressure within one on said tires andsaid chamber, to permit closing of said valves and prevent the deflationof the other tire, and to shift said actuating member intointer-engagement with said gravity-actuated member, to cause the latterto audibly vibrate said diaphragm, and means for adjusting theresiliency with which said bellows is positioned, to accommodate itsoperation to tires of diflerent operating pressures.

aosaocc I 10. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to androtatable with a vehicle wheel, a plurality of valves extending into anair-tight chamber within said casing, an air-conduit con- .to saidcasing, a resonant diaphragm rotatable with said casing, an intermediatemember nor mally rotatable with said diaphragm and capable of movinginto inter-engagement with said lastnamed member, so as to becomerotatable with respect to said diaphragm, and means movable with saidbellows upon a change of pressure within one of said tires and saidchamber, to permit closing of said valves and prevent the deflation ofthe other tire, and to shift said actuating member into inter-engagementwith said gravity-actuated member, to cause the latter to audiblyvibrate said diaphragm, and visual means movable in accordance with thereciprocation of said actuating member, to indicate the relative degreeof inflation of the tires when inter-connected, and ofv either tire whendeflated.

11. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and rotatablewith a vehicle wheel, a plurality of valves extending into an air-tightchamber Within said casing, an air conduit connecting each of saidvalves to one of a plurality of tires upon such wheel, a resilientlypositioned bellows within said casing chamber operative in one positionto open said valves simultaneously, to permit the maintenance ofequalized pressure within the tires thru said chamber, a gravityactuatedmember relatively movable with respect to said casing, a resonantdiaphragm rotatable with said casing, an intermediate mem- ,1 bernormally rotatable with said diaphragm and capable of moving intointer-engagement with said last-named member, so as to become rotatablewith respect to the diaphragm, means movable with said bellows upon achange of pressure within one of said tires and said chamber,

to permit closing of said valves and prevent the deflation of the othertire, and to shift said actuating member into inter-engagement with saidgravity-actuated member, to cause the latter to audibly vibrate saiddiaphragm, and means accessible from the outside of said casing torelease said actuating member from said gravityactuated member and tore-open said valves, and permit the increase of pressure within saidchamher to maintain said bellows in normal position, said valves open,and said last-mentioned members in released relation.

12. An alarm, comprising a resonant member having irregularities,mounted upon and adapted to rotate with a vehicle wheel, a substantiallystationary gravity-actuated member also carried by said wheel, a discnormally rotatable with said resonant member and having movably mountedmembers engageable with said irregularities,

means for interlocking said disc with said stationary member, dexpansible means controlled by the pressure in a tire carried by thewheel, operative upon a decrease in such pressure to permit saidinterlocking means to secure said disc to said stationary member, tocause said movably mounted members in engagement with saidirregularities to vibrate said resonant member.

13. The combination of a casing adapted to be opening, and valves insaid last-named conduits,

between said separate valves and said opening.

14. An alarm, comprising a resonant member mounted upon and adapted torotate with a vehicle wheel, a substantially stationary member attachedto the axle of such wheel, means nor mally rotatable with said resonantmember and engageable therewith, and expansible means controlled by thepressure in a tire carried by the wheel, operative upon a decrease insuch pressure to permit said rotatable means to inter-engage saidstationary member, to cause said resonant member to audibly vibrate. I

15. An alarm, comprising a resonant member mounted upon and adapted torotate with a vehicle wheel, a substantially stationary member attachedto the axle of such wheel, means normally rotatable with said resonantmember and engageable therewith, expansible means controlled by thepressure in a tire carried by the wheel, sure to permit said rotatablemeans to inter-engage said stationary member, to cause said resonantmember to audibly vibrate, a casing for said stationary member, saidrotatable means, and

, said expansible means, of which casing said resonant member forms aportion, means to secure said casing to a vehicle wheel, a valveextending .into said casing, an air conduit connecting a tire i upon thewheel to said valve, and means accessible from the outside of said.casing to release said rotatable means from inter-engagement with saidstationary member and to open said valve, and permit the increase ofpressure within said chamber from the tire to maintain said expansiblemeans in normal position, said valve open, and said mter-engagingmembers in released relation 16, Analarm, comprising an audible means,actuating means for said first means carried by a vehicle, a casingcarried by and rotatable with a wheel of such vehicle, a valve leadinginto said casing, an air conduit connecting a tire upon such wheel withsaid valve, expansible means in said casing and operative in oneposition to maintain said valve open, and power transmitting meansactuated by said expansible means to cause said actuating means tooperate said audible means upon a decrease in the air pressure withinthe perative upon a. decrease in such pres ing a pneumatic tire normallyresting upon a sup porting surface, with an alarm, comprising a soundproducing element, a gravity actuated member relatively movablewithrespect to the wheel when rotating, and at all times free andindependent of such tire-supporting surface and means operative upon achange in pressure in the tire to cause said member to sound the alarm.

18. The combination of a vehicle wheel carrying a pneumatic tirenormally resting upon a supporting surface, with a sound producingelement, a gravity actuated member at all times free to rotate withrespect to said wheel and tire and g5 independently of suchtire-supporting surface, and means operative upon a change in pressurein the tire to cause said member to operate said element.

19. The combination of a wheel carrying a pneumatic tire normallyresting upon a supporting surface, with an alarm, in turn comprising agravity actuated member at all times free to rotate with respect to saidwheel and tire and independently of such tire-supporting surface, and asound producing device adapted to be operated by said member upon achange in the pressure within the tire.

20. The combination of a shaft, a wheel rotatably mounted thereon and apneumatic tire in turn mounted upon said wheel, a gravity actuatedpendulum also supported by said shaft, an audible alarm, andpneumatically actuatedmeans operative upon a change in pressure in thetire, to cause said pendulum to operate said alarm.

21. The combination with a vehicle wheel and its pneumatic tire, of anormally inoperative audible alarm, comprising parts producing soundupon. relativemovernent therebetween but normally rotating with thewheel, means nonrotatit-e with the wheel, and means operative upon acl'lange in tire pressure to connect one oi? said parts with thenon-rotative means, whereby to produce said relative sound producingmovement.

The combination with a vehicle wheel and ii: pneumatic tire, of anormally inoperative comprising parts producing an alarm upon 1emovement thereof but normally rotating mer and with the wheel, meansnon-rotative ith the wheel, and means operating upon a change in tirepressure to connect one of said parts with the non-rotative means,whereby to produce said relative alarm producing movement.

The combination with a wheel with dual pneumatic tires, of a pressureequalizer means operating to shut off a given the after a predetermineddrop in pressure produced therein by a drop in the pressure of the othertire, an audible alarm device carried by the wheel, and adjustable meansoperative to permit the operation of said alarm either during or aftersaid predetermined drop in pressure.

24. The combination of a vehicle wheel and its pneumatic tire with anaudible alarm comprising a casing unitarily attached to said wheel, androtatable therewith, a gravity-actuated member within said casing, meansto operatively connect the interior of said casing with said tire, andmeans actuated upon a decrease in the pressure within said tire below apredetermined degree to cause said gravity-actuated means to sound saidalarm.

25. The combination of a vehicle wheel with its plurality ofpneumatically inflated tires, an audible alarm comprising a casingforming a unitary part of said wheel and rotatable therewith, agravity-actuated member carried by said casing, means to operativelyconnect the interior of said casing with each of said tires, and meansactuated upon a decrease in the pressure within one of said tires belowa predetermined degree to cause said gravity-actuated means to actuatesaid alarm.

26. The combination of a vehicle wheel with its plurality ofpneumatically inflated tires, a casing unitarily attached to said Wheeland rotatable therewith, an audible alarm comprising a part of saidcasing, a gravity-actuated member carried by said casing, meansoperative to connect the interior of said casing with each of saidtires, and means actuated by a decrease in the pressure within one ofsaid tires below a predetermined degree to cause said gravity-actuatedmeans to actuate said alarm. I

27. The ccmbination of a wheel and its pneumatic tire, a normallyinoperative sound producing element, a non-rotating gravity actuatedmember carried by and rotatable with relation to said wheel when saidwheel is itself rotated, and

means whereby said member while hanging freely suspended causes saidelement to produce sound,

when the pressure within said tire falls below a pre-determined degree.

- WARREN FENTON.

